Thursday, July 9, 2026

SPA - Hong Kong:

His Excellency the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Eng. Abdullah bin Amer Al-Swaha, affirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister - may God preserve them - is moving towards building one of the most ready and accessible artificial intelligence infrastructures in the world, enhancing its position as a trusted partner to enable the digital economy and connect the East with the West. Saudi announcements

This came during his speech at the opening of the LEAP East 2026 conference in Hong Kong, where he explained that LEAP, which started from Riyadh five years ago, has become a global technology movement that has had a multiplied impact not only on the Kingdom and the region but on the world, noting that the transfer of this movement to the East reflects the importance of the region as a pivotal center for shaping the future of technology and artificial intelligence.

His Excellency explained that the East today represents an economy worth $34 trillion, nearly 30% of global GDP, and includes a digital economy worth $10 trillion, along with 3.7 billion people representing about 46% of the world's population, stressing that the East not only has the size but is building the true architecture of the AI era. He also pointed out that 82% of global AI patents originate from the East, 60% of the global semiconductor market is based there, along with 90% of advanced chip manufacturing, making it a major center for computing and AI engines globally. His Excellency reviewed the Kingdom's achievements in recent years, noting that the Saudi digital economy grew by 75% over 8 years to reach $139 billion, the non-oil sector's contribution to GDP rose to 16%, and the operational capacity of data centers jumped to 467 megawatts, representing 47% of the total capacity in the Middle East and North Africa region.

His Excellency emphasized that empowering Saudi women represents one of the most prominent success stories globally, noting that women's participation in the technical workforce rose from 7% to 35%, exceeding the average of the European Union and Silicon Valley, while Saudi women lead globally in participation and empowerment in the field of artificial intelligence.

Regarding infrastructure, His Excellency explained that the Kingdom is working to build 6.9 gigawatts of data center capacity by 2034, starting with 3 gigawatts by 2030, with 12.8 gigawatts of energy currently available, making the Kingdom one of the fastest globally in providing energy for computing and AI projects.

His Excellency concluded by affirming that the Kingdom combines the three success factors of the AI era: computing, customers, and capital, noting that major global companies from the East have started building in the Kingdom, including ByteDance, Lenovo, and Tencent.